Senior Care News

What Behavior Can You Watch for to Determine When Your Loved One Should Stop Driving?

Home Care in Wooster OH

Sometimes your loved one’s behaviors when she’s not driving can actually help you to determine when it’s time to talk about hanging up her car keys.

She’s Having Trouble with Spatial Abilities

If your loved one is having a difficult time judging and gauging space and distance, driving is likely a huge issue for her. Knowing where the edges and corners of the car are is essential to being able to drive properly. Pay attention to how your loved one moves through her home to watch for issues with bumping into items or misjudging space in other ways.

Her Memory Is Suffering

Your loved one might start to experience issues with her memory, especially in terms of recent events and occurrences. When this happens, it can signal a problem with driving in that your loved one needs to remember where she’s going, how to get there, and what she’s just done. Minor lapses may not mean anything, but larger gaps in memory and lapses occurring more often can mean trouble.

She’s Less Coordinated in General

When your loved one is behind the wheel, she needs to be able to juggle a variety of tasks all at once. She’ll need to manage the pedals, steer, use her turn signals, and stay alert to what is going on around her. This takes a great deal of coordinated activity and if she’s having trouble with her coordination, that can show quickly behind the wheel.

She’s Less Alert to Her Surroundings

If your loved one is having a tough time staying alert to the things that are happening around her when she’s at home, that’s a bad sign for her driving abilities. In the car, your loved one needs to be able to pay attention to multiple issues all at once. Problems with knowing what is going on around her can cause a serious accident.

Decision-making and Problem-solving Skills Are Suffering

You may not notice this because it’s second nature, but when you’re driving, you’re making dozens of decisions and solving a variety of problems all at once. If your loved one is having difficulty making decisions and solving problems when she’s at home, that’s a scary prospect behind the wheel.

Always give your loved one another transportation option, whether it’s you, another family member, or even a home care provider taking your loved one where she needs to go.

If you are considering hiring home care in Wooster, OH, call the caring staff at Central Star Home Health at (419) 610-2161.  Providing services for families in Mansfield, Lexington, Bellville, Mt. Gilead, Loudonville, Crestline, Galion, Shelby, Ashland, Wooster, and the surrounding areas.

 

Stephen Sternbach

Recent Posts

Categories

Contact Us About Home Care

Skip to content